


Announcement from the author the end! (I’ll Take That Backrub Now)

by PartOfAWhole



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Blood, Coma, Comedy, Drama, Existentialism, Existentialism in a fanfiction about a Disney movie, Explicit Language, F/M, Gen, Gore, Intense, Mystery, Parody, Shooting, Terrorism, Trauma, Violence, lots of nods to the movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2018-07-24 03:35:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7491894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PartOfAWhole/pseuds/PartOfAWhole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This text box used to summarize the Zootopia fanfiction “I’ll Take That Backrub Now”, but it now simply serves to let you know that an important announcement has been added after the final chapter. This addition will cause also the fanfiction to momentarily shoot to the top of the feed, causing an influx of new audience members, to whom I say: don’t read this it’s probably the worst thing I’ve ever written seriously don’t waste your time I’m begging you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“So, uh…” Nick said through a mouthful of blueberries and his face buried in the police monitor, “what are we lookin’ for here?”

“Tim Johnson,” Judy said, pointing at the monitor while keeping her eyes on the road, “He’s a wolf, wears a hoodie all the time.”

“Timberwolf kinda guy?”

“Well, we don’t know if he has any affiliation with the Timberwolves, but he has that sort of appearance, yes,” Judy said.

“That’s the car, isn’t it?” Nick said. Judy looked over and followed his paw to a black SUV speeding along.

She slowed down and squinted at the license plate. “... 4GT ... M305! Yes! It is!” she flicked on her siren and smiled approvingly. “That was easy!”

Nick leaned back and took a sip of his coffee. “You proud of me, Carrots?”

Judy half-grinned on the side of her mouth Nick couldn’t see. “I’m always proud of you, Officer Wilde-.”

The driver of the SUV hit the gas. Judy followed suit.

Everyday cars dove out of the way as they heard the sirens. Judy grabbed the mic from the ceiling of the police car. Her voice boomed through the streets, “Pull over, and we can avoid any extra trouble.”

Nick grabbed the microphone, “Yeah, and we’ve got cookies fresh out of the oven just for you!”

“Nick, just call for backup, please.”

Suddenly the SUV stopped. Judy slammed on the brakes with a squeal from the tires.

A hooded mammal rushed out of the car with a suitcase in hand and bolted down an alley.

“Go, go, go!” Judy yelled, jumping out of the car.

“Shouldn't we wait for the team to get here?”

“Nick, he's getting away!”

“Right,” Nick said. A brief look of worry crossed his face as he watched the wolf run off. He quickly replaced it with his usual grin. “Okay. Let's go.”

They sprinted after the wolf until they hit a sudden stop in the alley. They had the wolf trapped.

Judy pulled out her gun and trained it on the wolf. “Drop the case and put your hands up.”

The wolf dropped it and obeyed, eyes widening. “Whoa, hey, you can't shoot me!” he yelled.

“I can if you threaten my life. So don't do that, and we’ll be good.”

“Carrots, he's got a gun.” Nick looked scared.

Judy darted her eyes to the wolf’s jacket. Underneath, she saw a glint of metal.

“Sir,” she ordered, “keep your hands up. Don't make any sudden movements or I will shoot. I am going to approach you and confiscate your gun, and I have no desire to harm you. I have the advantage.”

Judy walked slowly. She kept her eyes locked on the wolf’s.

“Nick, back me up.”

“Got it,” he said. He stood in a tense stance, paw gripping his pistol.

Judy inched closer. Her heart beat faster and faster with each step. She had dealt with armed criminals before. It never went smoothly.

The wolf whipped out his gun.

“Sir-!” Judy yelled, and pulled the trigger.

Her gun clicked. She had no ammo. Her stomach sank.

“Judy-!” she heard from behind her. 

She closed her eyes. She heard the wolf’s gun go off. She felt someone push her from behind.

She opened her eyes. She was on the ground, two feet forward from where she had fallen. Looking up, she saw the wolf running off.

“Get him- he’s getting-!” she yelled, but stopped short. She heard a whimper of pain from behind her. Terrified, she turned around.

Nick was crumpled on the ground. The pool of blood was spreading like impending death.

“Shit, oh, **SHIT, NICK!”** she scrambled to his side. “Medic!” she screamed into her radio. “Officer down! Alley off 34th! We need medical NOW!” She cupped his head.

“Gaugh!” he screamed in pain. She dropped his head instantly, which hit the pavement with a small crack. He curled up tighter.

“Sorry! I’m sorry! Oh my God, oh my God, it’s bad, it’s bad, it’s bad.”

“I… fucking know, … Carrots.”

“Shit shit shit fuck, oh my **GOD!** Where’s the wound?”

Nick’s breathing was shallow and layered. He weakly lifted his blood-matted paw to reveal the wound, just below and to the right of his ribcage.

Desperately, Judy ripped off the bottom of her uniform and wadded it into a ball. She jammed it into Nick’s wound.

“Nny **AAH** -uh!” Nick yelled. He curled tighter, trying to swat Judy away.

“I’m sorry! Nick, you gotta let me… I gotta stop the…” she trailed off into hysterical gasps. Her head rested on his neck.

“Stay with me… Stay with me," she whispered, holding the wad of cloth in place. “Don’t leave me, Nick.”

The fox whined in pain. He breathed in and out, each time bringing a more intense wave of agony. His whimpers became weaker and weaker. 

“Ju… dy,” Nick said with effort. A thin trail of blood was dripping from his mouth.

“I lo… ve you,” he said.

“Nick, stay with me,” Judy said firmly. Any other time she would’ve returned his words. Not now. She couldn’t give him any closure. Not when he could be trying to say goodbye. He would not die. He would not die.

Ambulance sirens sounded.

“Ju… dy, please,” he begged. He coughed red and he let his head rest on the pavement. 

Judy lost it. 

She cried uncontrollably. Her tears and saliva mixed with the blood.

Nick saw the ambulance lights. He closed his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the wake of the new conflict, the main character embarks on an attempt to solve the problem and rectify his/her mistakes. This creates a pretty cool and fun story to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to update every day. I'm probably gonna have a wide variance of degrees of success. Think of it as a game. Bet with a friend: If I post a new chapter by the end of the day, your friend owes you a dollar or vice-versa. Then, with each new chapter, increase the stakes by doubling the previous bet. While I encourage you to have fun with your friends, I do not condone illegal gambling. Got a gambling addiction? Visit www.gamblingaddiction.org . There is help for you. There are people who share your problem and understand your struggle. You are not alone.
> 
> I don't know how many chapters the story's gonna be.

Judy listened to the soft sounds of the heart monitor and Nick’s sedated breathing. She rested her paw gently on his chest, so she wouldn’t miss it if it stopped moving.

 

“He was very lucky,” said the doctor, a lumbering hippopotamus. “The bullet missed all his major organs. The main threat to his life was blood loss, and we were able to stop that.” The hippo gingerly patted her hoof on Judy’s shoulder. “But we may not have been able to, if you hadn’t tried to stop it immediately. You very well may have saved his life.” She lifted her hoof and backed up. “I’ll leave you alone. If you or he needs anything, press the call button.” The door clicked as she left.

 

Nick’s mouth was cracked, and he was drooling a little bit. His face was relaxed, free from pain with the help of the medication. Judy thought he looked at least a little bit like he was sleeping.

 

She didn’t care what the doctor said. She set her forehead on the side of the bed and let out a quiet sob. _It was her fault. He had saved her. It was her fault._

 

The door opened suddenly, and Judy jumped back, wiping a tear from her cheek.

 

Finnick stood at the door, with a box of chocolate-covered blueberries and card in hand.

 

“I, uh,” he said. “How’s… Did the doctors…?”

 

“They said he’s gonna live. But they don’t know how long it’s gonna be before he’s back to normal.”

 

A brief look of heartbreak flashed across Finnick’s face. He set the gifts on the bedside table.

 

“Can you… give this to him when he wakes up? Tell him s’from me?”

 

“Of course, Finnick.” She gave him a concerned look. His normal tough-guy facade seemed momentarily absent.

 

“I gotta go. Call me if… somethin’ happens.”

 

“I will.”

 

He started for the door, then stopped and turned around.

 

“How did…” he started, “How did this go down?”

 

Judy inhaled. “There was a wolf with a gun. When he threatened me, I… I tried to get him, but I was out of ammo. The wolf shot, Nick pushed me out of the way. He took the bullet.”

 

A strange mix of emotions shuffled through on Finnick’s face so fast that Judy wasn’t able to register any of them.

 

“Okay,” Finnick said simply. “Take care, … Carrots.”

 

“You too, Finnick.”

 

He left.

 

Seconds later, Chief Bogo burst into the room.

 

“Hopps!” he whisper-yelled. Judy jumped, and Nick groaned slightly in his sleep.

 

“Sorry,” Bogo said. “I… came to check on Wilde. The doctors said he was going to live, but I wanted your opinion.”

 

“I think he’s gonna be okay, Chief. It’ll take time, but he’ll be back on his feet.”

 

“Good,” he paused, “I wanted to know because... he’s a good cop, you know? Because the force would be at a loss without him.”

 

“Okay, Chief,” Judy said, cracking a smile.

 

“...not because I personally cared about him, obviously,…”

 

“I’ll let him know that when he wakes up, Chief.”

 

“You do that,” Bogo said, looking comically relieved. “Anyway. I also came to give you a case. I don’t think you’ll refuse it.”

 

He let a file drop at her feet. Judy eagerly tore it open, already knowing what was inside.

 

The file read:

 

TIM JOHNSON

MAMMAL TYPE: WOLF

WANTED FOR: BANK ROBBERY, ASSAULT OF AN OFFICER

 

Judy looked up at Bogo and grinned.

 

**

 

“Officer Hopps! Officer Leo Byrd, at your service,” the leopard extended his paw. He spoke with a pleasant accent and tone.

 

“Byrd,” Judy said, interested, accepting the pawshake, “I’ve never heard that name. Or any word like it. Is it exotic?”

 

“I looked it up one time. Something about a mass genocide of species. So, what are we looking for here, Officer Hopps?”

 

“Right,” she said, plopping the case file on the office table.

 

Leo read the paper intently. “So,” he said, “This the guy who shot Wilde, huh? Looks like a harmless fellow.”

 

“Well, he turned out to be very harmful,” Judy pointed at the picture.

 

“Yes, he did,” Leo said, paw on chin. “And he robbed Lionhart Bank the same day. Scoundrel. Any other leads?”

 

“Well, kind of. ZPD seized the SUV when Johnson fled the scene. We could go check that out.”

 

“Cool,” Leo said, “Let’s go do that.”

 

**

 

The SUV sat in a dark shed down the street from ZPD Headquarters. Leo and Judy got the key from Benjamin Clawhauser on the way out. The cheetah receptionist asked them to bring him back a donut, to which Judy replied that he was already cheating on his diet and that he needed to eat a salad or something.

 

An anteater wearing a brown, old-fashioned hat and a matching coat waited for them inside the garage. Using her detective skills, Judy determined that the mammal was a detective. Perhaps one who wished he’d lived a few decades in the past, judging from the getup.

 

“Put these on,” the anteater ordered, holding up two pairs of surgical gloves. “Try not to dirty any of the evidence.”

 

Judy examined the front of the car, Leo took the back. Judy found with some dismay that the SUV reminded her of Mr. Big’s, which reminded her of Nick. She cut off the line of thought early.

 

“Hey, Hopps,” Leo said grimly, beckoning her to him. She crawled over.

 

He pointed to the backseat. There were guns of every kind imaginable, bombs, launchers and cases upon cases of ammunition. There was no room, the massive pile of weapons suffocated the entire backseat of the SUV. It all glinted in the blue light, daring the beholder to touch it like a spindle. Judy covered her mouth.

 

“I think our wolf is more powerful than he let on,” Leo grimaced.

 

“There’s no way he could’ve just had all this! He must… be a part of something. Something big.”

 

“We may need to tread lightly, Officer,” Leo said, returning to his search. Judy stared at the mass of metal for a while longer, and then did the same.

 

Judy found some wolf hair on the front seat, which she placed carefully into an evidence bag. Rummaging through the glove compartment, she found a miniature grenade, a used candy wrapper, and a bloody handkerchief. She handed all the evidence to the anteater, who had been standing there all this time, studying his enormous magnifying glass. She started to return to her search, frowned, stopped, and turned to face the detective.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to be doing something? You know… Aren’t you the detective? Shouldn’t you be... ‘detecting’ things?”

 

The anteater glared at her. “My magnifying glass has a crack in it.”

 

“Fair enough,” Judy said, and ducked back into the SUV.

 

Not expecting it to yield anything, Judy checked under the passenger seat. She found a small trapdoor with a metal latch. She tried opening it, but it wouldn’t budge.

 

“Byrd,” she said, “Can I get some help over here?” He tried his hand at the latch.

 

“Stubborn little thing,” he muttered as he strained against the rusty metal. It popped open with a clang.

 

Leo reached in and pulled out one piece of paper.

 

 

“Oh my God,” Judy gasped. Her heart sank.

 

“What? What is this? What’s ‘Wild Times’?”

 

“It’s a theme park. Nick founded it, off in a secret location. I didn’t think it was much of a target for terrorism, it’s so down-low…”

 

“What?! You think this list--?!” Leo said, concerned.

 

“We need to go _NOW_.”

 

They heard an explosion.

 

Judy could tell it was distant, but it was still deafening. They ran outside.

 

“The factory…” Leo said in horror. There was a massive ball of fire in the sky, seen even over the rooftops. It replaced the sun’s light and heat.

 

“No,” Judy said, “That’s Wild Times.”

 

 _“ **ALL SURROUNDING OFFICERS TO THE FACTORY IMMEDIATELY** ,” _boomed Bogo’s voice from Judy’s caller. Judy held the speak button.

 

“Chief. Listen to me. We need to maximize security in the hospital and at HQ, _RIGHT NOW_.”

 

She and Leo got into the car and sped toward the blaze.

 

“What?” Bogo replied after a pause, “ _Why?_ ”

 

“We found a terrorist hit list. Lionhart Bank first, then by the factory, then the hospital, then HQ.”

 

There was a pause on the caller. Judy weaved through traffic, sirens blazing.

 

Bogo’s voice returned. “ _**ALL OFFICERS IN THE AREA OF THE HOSPITAL AND ZPD HEADQUARTERS STAND GUARD. WE ARE IN A STATE OF HIGH EMERGENCY.** ” _His voice tapered into static.

 

The police car screeched to a halt.

 

Firefighters were rushing in and carrying out predators. Judy saw some living, some dead, some in between. She pushed it aside and scanned the scene.

 

A hooded figure ducked into the far bushes.

 

“Byrd, there!” she yelled and sprinted toward where the figure had gone. Leo ran after her.

 

Judy grabbed her taser and held it at the ready. On the alert, she stopped by the bushes. She listened.

 

She heard a stick crack.

 

Instinctively she dove for the ground. Leo dove to the side.

 

A shot fired.

 

Judy looked up. The wolf hid in the bushes, five feet away.

 

She tased him.

 

“ _GGGYAAAHH!_ ” the wolf yelled, convulsing. He fell to the ground out of the bushes, writhing slowly against the ground.

 

Judy grabbed the wolf’s gun and slid it to Leo. She tackled the limp wolf and pinned him to the ground, handcuffing his paws behind his back. She locked a muzzle on his snout.

 

“Tim Johnson,” she snarled, “You are under arrest for bank robbery and assault of an officer. You have the right to silence and an attorney.” She got close to his ear and growled.

 

“I recommend you exercise the right to silence.”

 

The wolf, out of breath, managed a deranged grin from underneath the muzzle.

 

“My name… is not Tim Johnson,” he said through clenched teeth.

 

Judy slammed the butt of her taser into the back of his head. He fell unconscious.

 

“Hopps!” Leo yelled, “You’ll get a citation for that!”

 

Judy stood slowly, turned around as slowly, and wiped her mouth.

 

“I don’t… give… a _fuck_.”

 

Leo’s eyes widened. He took a step back.

 

“Okay, then,” he said.

 

Judy raised her caller to her ear.

 

“Chief Bogo, we have detained the suspect. We’re taking him back to the station.”

 

**

 

Judy and Leo rode in silence, the wolf moaning quietly in the backseat.

 

“...Sorry about back there,” Judy said, “I don’t know what came over me.”

 

“Well, you’ll excuse me saying so,” Leo said with a friendly smile, “but I never thought I could get scared of a bunny.”

 

Judy chuckled. “Well, I’ll let your stereotype slide this time, seeing as I was acting like a bit of a savage.”

 

“Right.”

 

“But really, Leo. I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s totally fine, Judy, honest. I think I understand why you were so livid. You had perfectly good reason.”

 

Judy bit back resentment. Of course he didn’t understand. His partner hadn’t been shot down. He didn’t have to live with guilt. He could never understand.

 

Then she remembered that he was sort of being understanding and generally super cool to her so she pushed the anger aside.

 

“You hear what he said?” Leo asked. “About not being Tim?”

 

“A last-ditch attempt to save himself, is what I’d guess,” Judy said. “Trust me, I’d remember his face anywhere. He’s our wolf. Besides, we’ve got the son-of-a-bitch’s DNA from the SUV. We’ve got all the verification we need.”

 

“Judy!” Clawhauser’s voice came from the caller.

 

She picked up, “Yeah, Ben. What’s up?”

 

“Get over here and drop off the suspect quick!”

 

“What?” Judy groaned. The day had been crazy enough already. “Why?”

 

“I got a call from the hospital. It’s Nick! He’s calling out for you!”

 

**

 

Judy was still in her uniform when she burst into Nick’s room.

 

“There you are! Jude the Duuude!” he said. He sounded awful. His eyes were lidded halfway and he spoke with a sort of lisp, almost like he was drunk. “Come heeerre!” He held out his arms to air-bro-hug her. He kept grinning as one of his paws shot to his wound.

 

As the nurse pulled Judy aside, Nick continued rambling as if he were still talking to her.

 

“He…” Judy said, scared to ask, “He doesn’t have brain damage?”

 

“No,” the nurse said. He was a kind giraffe with a slight Southern drawl. “But we put him on intense numbing agent, which is what’s making him act this way.”

 

Judy breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“He will occasionally go in and out of lucidity,” he said, “But for most of the time, he will be in this state of mind as long as he’s on the medication.”

 

Judy glanced over. Nick was clapping his hands and grinning.

 

“How long will that be?” she demanded.

 

“Until his pain is manageable,” the giraffe said, “We estimate two or so weeks.”

 

They fell into silence. Judy stared at the fox, who was now studying the ceiling and laughing, like it was the most entertaining thing in the world.

 

“We can leave a nurse in here,” said the giraffe, “If you feel you need company.”

 

“No,” Judy said quickly, “But… thank you.”

 

“Absolutely,” said the giraffe, “Seeing you should calm him down a bit.” He turned toward the door, motioning the other nurses to do the same. He turned to face Judy when he was out the door.

 

“He was completely lucid when he called for you,” he said, “without a doubt.”

 

The door clicked. Judy was alone with Nick.

 

Judy quietly pulled up a chair. The fox was still grinning in silence, staring straight up.

 

“Hey, Nick,” she said. She grabbed his paw, squeezing it gently. “How are you feeling?”

 

“There are stars on the ceiling,” he giggled.

 

Judy glanced up.

 

“Yeah, Nick,” she said, returning her gaze to him, “See any constellations?”

 

“I see… a cloud that looks like a bunny.”

 

“Uh-huh?”

 

“And stars that look like me.”

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

“I’m sad,” he said, looking to her.

 

Judy stomach lurched. Nick’s eyes were broken glass. He looked sadder than Judy had ever seen anyone. He looked shattered.

 

“Why is stars-me sad?” he asked. He sounded like a child.

 

Judy let go of his paw.

 

Judy preferred Nick’s smug smile to his deranged one. She even preferred the Nick that was shot down to this one. This was not Nick. This was an imposter.

 

Judy shook herself. This was about Nick. This was not about her.

 

“I don’t know why you’re sad, Nick,” she said. She emulated the sounds her mother’s voice made when she was a baby, when she’d scraped her knee, when she’d been picked on by Gideon, when she needed a mother. Nick needed a mother.

 

“I don’t know. Look over there, Nick.” She pointed to an empty chair across the room. “See that? That’s your mom. Your dad’s standing behind her. They’re smiling. Do you see them, Nick?”

 

Nick stared for a while, then closed his eyes and nodded. A thin tear dripped from the corner of his eye.

 

“They love you, Nick. They’re always around. They’re proud of you.”

 

Nick nodded.

 

“And, look. Look, Nick. It’s the ranger scout leader. He’s prey, and you’re a predator, but that’s okay. It’s okay, because he’s giving you a new patch. A new bandana to wear. You’re an Eagle Scout. You’ve earned it.”

 

Nick nodded. His quivering smile seemed like real Nick’s, and his sobs shook the bed.

 

“Zootopia’s perfect, Nick. It doesn’t matter who you are. Your genetics don’t matter. Predators and prey get along. Look around, Nick. Do you see it? Do you feel it?”

 

“I’m crying,” he said, “It’s out of joy. I hope you know that."

 

“I know, Nick.”

 

“I love you, Judy,” he said.

 

She couldn’t tell if he was lucid or not. She didn’t care. This time she returned the words.

 

“I love you, Nick.”

 

He mumbled something more about stars.

 

As he fell asleep, Judy stood. She walked to the window and rested her elbows on the sill, and her head in her paws. She sobbed quietly, then inhaled through her nose and wiped her face with her sleeve.

 

To the soft sound of Nick’s snoring she looked out at the twilight Zootopia. She’d saved it from another terrorist. There would be more.

 

She pushed off from the window and picked up her jacket.

 

She would find the out the truth from Tim.

 

She would make him pay for what he did to Nick.

 

She zipped up her jacket.

 

“I promise I wasn’t lying about the love part,” she said matter-of-factly. She hoped that got through to his subconscious.

 

She walked out of the room. She wouldn’t rest until all the promises to Nick came true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for the positive reaction on the last one. It really means a lot. :) Back to work on the story!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conflict escalates to the point where the reader in uncertain for the safety of the main character and his/her friends. In the meantime, new character development gives the reader more reason to care about the main character(s). This combined effect results in an increased likelihood that the reader will return to read the next chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated! Thank you so much for the support. Currently working on Chapter 4!

“Foxes can’t eat chocolate.”

 

Judy shot up from her daydream. Nick was looking at her, immensely tired, but grinning in a real-Nick way.

 

“Nick?”

 

“Yeah, it's me,” he said, smiling and shrugging his good shoulder, “I don’t know what’s been going on for the past however long it’s been, though.”

 

“Nick!” Judy yelled, she jumped up to hug him, stopped herself, and squeezed his paw hard. “It’s good to talk to you again!”

 

“Carrots, the pain in my paw is making it through the meds.”

 

“Sorry,” she said, letting go, smiling uncontrollably. “God, I’m just so damn happy, I’m sorry. How are you feeling?”

 

“Stellar,” Nick said, tapping his IV, “This stuff’s a helluva drug. You should  _ really  _ try it sometime.”

 

“No, I’m good. Watching you high is entertaining enough.”

 

“Har har.”

 

“Seriously, Nick. I’m so glad you’re you right now.”

 

“Aw, me, too,” he said, directing his attention the the bedside table. “So, as I was  _ saying,  _ foxes can’t eat chocolate. Horrible indigestion. Who got me these?” He held up the chocolate-covered blueberries.

 

“Those are from Finnick.”

 

“Well, he of all mammals should know. He  _ is  _ sort of a fox, you know.”

 

“Sort of. I think he kind of just wanted to get you something.”

 

“Well, it’s the thought that counts. And many tears were shed when I read his card, so I'm not going to angry with him any time soon. It’s a shame, though, what a waste of perfectly good blueberries. Do you want them, maybe?”

 

Judy laughed, “No, no, no. Chocolate’s full-on toxic to bunnies.”

 

“Well, shoot. Who in Zootopia is chocolate even for, then?”

 

They laughed, and faded to silence.

 

“So…” Nick said, “What exactly  _ happened?  _ I’m having trouble remembering past the whole car chase thing.”

 

Judy swallowed. “The wolf we were chasing had a gun. He tried to shoot me, but you pushed me out of the way. And you took the shot. And since you’ve been out, we’ve detained the wolf, and we’re going to question him, but… yeah. You saved my life, Nick.”

 

Nick rubbed his wound lightly, eyes wide. “Well, that makes sense. Me being all heroic, and all.”

 

“...Yeah,” Judy said.

 

“I guess you owe me, then,” he grinned.

 

His eyes began to shut slowly. Judy could tell he was getting more and more exhausted.

 

“Yes, Nick,” Judy grinned back. “Name me anything. I’m forever at your service.”

 

Nick shut his eyes and smiled approvingly. “Mm.”

 

“Chores around the apartment? I’m on it.”

 

Nick chuckled softly. “Hmm.”

 

“A backrub? You got it.”

 

Nick raised his brow, eyes closed. “Backrub?”

 

Judy paused. “... Why? What’s so special about a backrub?”

 

He lowered his brow.

 

“Mm. I don’t know, it just kinda sounds like a set-up.”

 

Judy frowned. “A set-up?  A set-up for what? What are you talking about?”

 

Nick smiled peacefully. “M-mm. ‘Night, Judy.”

 

Judy sighed. Must just be the drugs.

 

“Sleep well, Nick.”

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

Judy turned up to head to the door.

 

“Oh, Nick?” she said.

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“I’m going to get the truth. I’m gonna make the wolf pay.”

 

“Mm… Yeah, Carrots. Go ahead.”

  
  


**

  
  


The next time she saw Nick he slept the whole time. She kind of just wanted to see him, though, so she stayed anyway.

 

She turned on the TV. Another terror attack had happened halfway across the world. So no surprises today.

 

She looked at Nick. She felt as tired as he did. The public hated her for her badge. Innocent mammals died to terror and corruption every day by the tens. The world was insane. The world wasn't fair.

 

She was so sick of all of it. She hated corrupt cops. She hated speciesism. She hated that "#AllLivesMatter" was considered speciesist. This was not a game of chess where we pick and choose which pieces mattered more. These were real mammals. Each had feelings. Each had things they wanted to do before they died.

 

Judy joined the force to make the world a better place, to serve and protect the living. She did not come this far to see it fall apart in a civil war.

 

She hated terrorism. She hated terrorists. 

 

It all just made her want to live in the stars that Nick sometimes saw on the ceiling. She was powerless, the public was powerless. The world was powerless.

 

Terror was a stronger force than ever. The world needed to band together, not rip itself apart with these alienating ideas of species and occupational battle.

 

She went back to looking at Nick, because she thought the fanfiction was getting too political. 

 

The sun was going down. She fell asleep, or maybe she was already dreaming.

 

**

 

“... theme park?”

 

Judy’s mind rolled out of sleep.

 

“Oh, hey, Nick. You’re awake.”

 

“What the hell happened to my theme park?!”

 

He was livid. His eyes were glued to the television, which was broadcasting footage from the Wild Times attack.

 

“I… I didn't tell you,” Judy said.

 

“How the  _ fuck  _ did you forget to tell me something like that, Judy?! ‘Oh, Nick, I’m glad you're awake, no, chocolate’s toxic to bunnies, oh, by the way, your fuckin’ theme park blew up!’”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

“43 mammals dead, Judy! Who the hell was on rescue duty, huh?”

 

“We got the guy who did it,” Judy said, “He's the same wolf who robbed the bank and shot you.”

 

“When you see him tomorrow,” Nick snarled, “I want you to shoot his fucking knees. I want you shoot one, stop, let him think about it, and then shoot the other one after he begs you to stop.”

 

“Nick, you know I can't do that.”

 

“Yeah, but it sure felt amazing to  _ SAY IT! GAH!”  _ he yelled. He rubbed his bandages, having messed them up in the sudden excitement.

 

Judy paused.

 

“If it makes you feel better,” she said gently, “when I arrested him I beat his head in with my taser, and I'm probably gonna get written up for it.”

 

Nick looked at her and did sort of a snarl-smile hybrid.

 

“That does help a little. Thanks, Carrots.”

 

Judy stood.

 

“I should probably leave you alone. Try to get some rest, okay?”

 

Nick silently returned his eyes to the TV, despondent.

 

“I’ll come back to visit tomorrow. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

 

Nick nodded.

 

“See ya, Nick.”

 

Nick continued watching in silence.

 

Judy left.

 

**

 

“I'd like you to know that the moment I take off this badge is the moment I absolutely end you,” Judy growled.

 

The wolf smiled and gestured politely, clinking his cuffs in the process. “I’m thoroughly terrified. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

 

Normally, Judy would play Bad Cop, and Nick would play Nice Cop in these interrogations. Judy wished she had Nick at her side, but in this case she was perfectly fine with only giving the wolf the Bad Cop part of the deal.

 

She leaned across the table. “Where did you get the weapons?”

 

“Oh, what’s in it for me?”

 

“Listen to me, you sick shit,” Judy spat, “Tell me how you got all those weapons and I’ll tell you how long your sentence is.”

 

“No, you're supposed to give me incentive to answer your questions,” he laughed, “What do they teach these days?”

 

He looked hungrily at the clock.

 

“ANSWER ME!” Judy boomed.

 

The wolf leaned in and grinned smugly. “What do you already know, Officer  _ Hopps _ ?”

 

He looked again at the clock.

 

“You are a  _ terrorist.  _ You robbed a bank. You shot my partner. And you--.”

 

“And I’m gonna have to stop you there, Sweetie,” he smiled, “ _ I  _ didn't do  _ any _ of that!”

 

“Oh, don't give me that  _ shit,”  _ Judy snapped. “I saw you run from the SUV, I saw your face. And we matched your DNA to the hair we found in the driver’s seat. Don’t waste my time!”

 

“How good are your databases over at the ZPD?”

 

“We have the most carefully--!”

 

“ _ NOT…  _ good enough, Officer Hopps, you see, because  _ I, _ ” he licked his lips, “have an identical twin.”

 

A shocked silence fell.

 

Judy stared at him. “You…”

 

“My name is Dante Johnson. Tim Johnson is…”

 

He looked at the clock like it was a meal. Judy glanced up at it too.

 

Her stomach sank. Something was about to happen. Her paw leapt for her radio.

 

Explosion. Not that far. Screams.

 

“...right there,” Dante said.

 

He began to laugh.

 

“Bogo, we need fire and rescue at the General Hospital.” Judy said, numb, heading for the door. She didn't care about Dante’s squeals of delight. She didn't care that he’d won. She cared about nothing but one thing.

 

_ Nick is up there. Nick is on the top floor. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peril ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow @part_of_a_whole on Twitter for frequent updates, as well as insider scoops for potential future fanfics!
> 
> Got it posted on time! I suppose depending on where you live, this chapter may technically be a day late, but cut me some slack, okay?
> 
> Whoo. This one's intense. I think that's why it took me so long to get it right, and it's not that long of a chapter either. I think I got it as best I could, though.
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains graphic and vivid depictions of blood. If you don't do well with gore and that, you may want to proceed with caution. It's nothing unbearable, but enough to where I was worried enough to write this warning. Just be advised :)
> 
> And again, thank you so much for reading. Feedback is always greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

“ _Hopps!_ ” Bogo yelled, sprinting after her. The building’s blaze lit up even in the midday light.

“Chief, don’t you _dare_ stop me,” Judy growled.

“Hopps, do not enter that hospital. That’s an **_order_**!” He grabbed her wrist.

“Let go of me!”

“ _JUDY_! We cannot lose you! Stand back!”

“ _NICK_ is in there! LET GO, _I’M WARNING YOU!_ ”

“ _I AM AWARE!_ There are first responders, and they _WILL_ rescue Wilde! I have ordered you to stand back, Officer, so STAND! BACK! NOW!”

In one swoop of her arm, Judy drew out her pepper spray and blinded him.

“ _GAH!_ ” he screamed, letting go of her hand. She scrambled under a pile of hot debris, too big for Bogo to climb over.

Bogo covered his blood-red eyes. Slowly, he turned to look at her. He was livid.

“ ** _ENTER THAT BUILDING, JUDY HOPPS_** ,” he boomed, “ _ **AND YOU ARE DISCHARGED, YOU HEAR ME?! DISCHARGED!**_ ”

Judy looked him square in the face, sad.

“I’m sorry, Chief,” she said. She heard him curse furiously as she ducked into the burning building.

Top floor. Just get to the top floor.

It was already too hot for her to stand. She ran up the stairs. One flight. She coughed, tasting smoke and blood. Two flights.

Debris was falling everywhere. She heard screams. Some from the first responders. Some of terror. Some of agony. It was chaos. NIck. It was hell. Just gotta get to Nick. Three flights, maybe four.

“WE CAN’T SAVE… ON THE TOP FLOORS!” Judy heard one of the rescuers. “TAKE WHO YOU CAN AND… THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!”

She was dizzy. She was approaching the meat of the blaze. She thought maybe she was going to die of heat. Seven… flights?

...The next thing her brain registered was bursting through Nick’s door.

The fox was sitting upright in bed. He was staring at the wall and grinning. When he saw her, he grinned wider.

“You’re here to pick me up, huh?” he said, looking as out of it as ever.

“Oh, perfect. Nick, get up!” Judy yelled. It was eerily quiet on the top floor. Echoed screaming and crackles were all that made it through. But Judy could feel the heat coming.

“I’m so comfy, can’t I stay?” Nick batted his eyes, burying himself in the blanket, “I don’t wanna go to school.”

“Nick, snap out of it,” Judy said, throwing the off the blanket. She ripped the IV tube out of his arm and tugged him out of bed. “You need to follow me, okay?”

Nick looked confused as they ran. He blinked a couple times, then gradually came to his senses.

“C… Carrots? W-what’s going on?”

“Terrorist attack. Building’s on fire.”

“Ohh- _OH_ God,” Nick groaned, grabbing his side, stopping in his tracks. “Pain’s back. Pain’s _baaad_.”

“Nick, I’m sorry, but we’ve got to keep moving!”

“Fuuuck, _shiiii..._ ” he muttered. Judy half-dragged him to the roof access door.

“Nick, do you think you can climb a ladder?”

Nick dropped to his knee and gasped. He opened his mouth to say something, looked sick, then closed it. He shook his head.

“Just grab on to the bar, okay? I’ll push you up.”

Nick nodded. His breathing thickened. Judy helped him to his feet. Nick fell onto the ladder, and held onto the highest bar with the paw on his good side. Judy pushed him up and onto the roof, and came out on after him.

“ _Ohhhahg_ I… Carrrrots, I don’t feel so good,” Nick moaned.

“Hang in there, Nick,” Judy said as calmly as she could, “We’re gonna be fine, I promise.” She raised her caller to her ear. “CHIEF!” she yelled.

Almost immediately, Bogo responded, “ _ **HOPPS?!**_ ”

“I have Officer Wilde! We are on the roof! We need a helicopter _ASAP!_ ”

Nick dragged himself to the side of the building, hoisted his head over, and dry heaved.

“Immediately,” Bogo said, and ended the call.

Judy heard a roar. Flames shot out of the roof access door.

“Shit!” Judy cursed.

She grabbed Nick under his good shoulder and dragged him away from the blaze.

“Aghhh, Judy, it _hurts_. It _rreally_ fuckin’ _hurrts_.” Nick’s claws were digging hard into her wrist as he hung on. He sounded on the verge of tears.

Judy felt horrible, but had no room to dwell on it. She kicked into cop mode. Nick was her rescuee.

“I got you,” keeping emotion out of her voice, “Don’t panic. Deep breaths. In and out. Can you do that for me?”

He nodded and squeezed his eyes shut.

Judy eyed the boiler. A diamond “WARNING: FLAMMABLE” sign seemed to tease her, as if waiting to explode.

“Chief, how much longer until that chopper?!”

“They just got off the ground! Just stay put on the roof!”

“ _The roof is gonna blow, Chief!_ ”

“ _I’ll tell them to hurry up!_ ” he yelled, and went silent.

She heard a hiss. Looking over, she saw gas trickling out of the boiler.

“Oh my God,” she said and threw herself facedown over Nick.

The boiler exploded.

The shockwave slammed them to the wall, which crumbled, sending them off the edge.

Judy grabbed Nick by the collar and latched the drain pipe with her other arm.

“ ** _GAAUUGHAH!_** ” Nick screamed in agony. His gown was stained with blood, Judy knew his wound had reopened. He grabbed her wrist and clamped down with his claws.

Judy growled in strain and she tried to lift them back on the roof. She knew she couldn’t.

“Nick, help is coming! Don’t let go, okay?!”

Nick moaned. “ _Hhhhuhh_ … I’m gonna... gonna pass ouut…-”

“ _No, no, no_ , just a little bit longer, okay?! I see the helicopter, buddy!” she lied. “Just stay awake, just for a little longer, okay?!”

Nick groaned. His grip was weakening.

Judy winced and desperately tried again to lift them up.

“You’re doing great, Nick!” she said, sweat mixing with tears. She heard the chopper, craned her neck to see it. It was far, but coming in fast.

“Just a little… more, Nick, please,” she begged.

His entire side was stained red.

“Caaaan’t…” he muttered, “...Carrrots...”

The helicopter came to a halt above them. It hovered. The door opened. Inside was an otter pilot, and Officer Leo Byrd, leaning out, grabbing for Judy’s paw.

“ _ **GET NICK!**_ ” Judy screamed.

“ _FLY ME LOWER!_ ” Leo yelled at the otter. He stretched out. He grabbed Nick by the foot and reeled him in. Judy slammed her paw, bloodied from Nick’s claws, onto the drain pipe. Leo grabbed her by the waist and slammed the door behind them.

“Oh, God, holy shit, holy _SHIT!_ ” Leo panicked, looking at his paws, coated in Nick’s blood.

“ _ **GET TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL, NOW!**_ ” Judy screamed at the otter, and turned to Leo. The copter lurched forward. “ _ **FIRST AID!**_ ” she yelled at Leo, “ _ **NOW!**_ ”

“Right!” Leo said, still shocked. He ran for the helicopter wall.

“It’s in that red box under the binders!” the otter said.

Judy scrambled up from the ground and hopped onto the seat, brushing everything off the first aid and onto the floor. Leo lifted the plastic box and slammed it next to an unconscious Nick.

“Elevate his head,” Leo ordered, digging through the kit. Judy held Nick’s head in her arms as Leo pulled out an entire roll of gauze, ripped off a huge piece, and applied as much pressure to the wound he could muster.

Nick’s face contorted. He groaned in his sleep.

“Zootopia Downtown Hospital, this is Copter MEDEVAC 2. We have a severely injured patient, be ready at the helipad. I repeat, we have injured. Be ready at the helipad.”

“C’mon, Nick. Stay with me,” Leo said.

Nick cracked his eyes open. He looked at Judy for a few moments. The chopper bumped, jostling the gauze. His eyes rolled back and closed.

Judy was wordless, almost numb. She just wanted her friend to live.

“Coming in for landing!”

The copter landed. The otter opened the door, and emergency nurses threw Nick onto a stretcher and ran him away to ER. For the second time in a week, Judy wondered if she’d ever see him alive again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader is made to experience strong feelings of pity toward the main character(s). This may cause the reader to care more and more deeply about the characters, making them more invested in the story and thus more likely to read future chapters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow @Part_of_a_Whole on Twitter for frequent updates, as well as a potential say in what I write next! As Backrub is planned, there will be one more chapter and an epilogue. Hope you all enjoy!

Judy sat in the waiting room. A nurse was wrapping her damaged paw in bandages. It stung, but Judy honestly didn’t care.

 

Bogo approached from behind.

 

“Hopps, get over here when you’re done,” he ordered. Judy immediately nodded, without looking over at him.

 

She had even more trouble than usual reading his tone of voice. She didn’t like it, whatever it was.

 

“All done,” the nurse said. “Try wiggling the fingers a bit. How does it feel?”

 

“It’s fine, ma’am. Thank you.” Honestly, it wasn’t even that bad. She had _so_ many much worse things to worry about than a scratched paw.

 

Judy approached Bogo, who was leaning, arms folded, against the wall of an empty hospital room. Judy had no idea what his face meant. He creaked open the door, and held out his arm to gesture for her to enter.

 

He closed the door behind them.

 

“Hopps, I’m not firing you,” he said simply.

 

Judy looked at him, half-stunned.

 

“You’re not…?”

 

“Judy, I can’t just up and discharge you,” Bogo sighed. “You performed an act of heroism, whether it was against orders or not. Not only are you one of our best officers. You are our most popular, the face of hope for Zootopia. If I fire you, I shine a bad light on the Department and on myself.”

 

A shameful look crossed Judy’s face.

 

“With all due respect, Sir… I don’t want to be excused from my actions just because of how I’m viewed. I should get what I deserve, and what I did was wrong.”

 

“Don’t push your luck, Hopps. And besides…” he seemed to reconsider whether or not to say something. “What you bring to the atmosphere at the ZPD… It’s something I hadn’t seen or thought possible until you were my employee. I don’t  _ want  _ to fire you, Hopps.” Judy could never be sure with Bogo, but she could’ve  _ sworn  _ she saw a hint of pride in his eyes.

 

“Oh,” Judy said, “... well, thank you, Sir. I… I won’t disappoint you again.”

 

“However,” Bogo said, “I’m not doing this for free. You need to detain the other terrorist at large within the next 48 hours. I’ll give you a team, but it has to be done.”

 

“Yessir.”

 

“And Judy, make no mistake,” he said, fully transitioned back to his usual cold tone, “If you  _ ever  _ disobey orders again like you did today, and you  _ will  _ leave the force. No exceptions. Understand?”

 

“Yes,” Judy said quickly.

 

“Good,” Bogo said, “That’s all I needed to say.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Judy said, turning to leave. She stopped.

 

“Chief, I didn’t get you  _ too  _ bad with the pepper spray, did I?” she asked hesitantly.

 

Bogo gave her the scariest glare she had ever seen.

 

“Like I said, Hopps. Don’t push your luck.”

 

“Right,” she said, scrambling toward the door, “See you tomorrow, Sir.”

 

Bogo didn’t reply before she left the room.

 

**

 

“He lost a  _ lot  _ of blood,” the nurse said grimly. “Luckily, he’s AB positive, so we were able to replace it very easily. He will live, but, ma’am…” The nurse desperately avoided Judy’s eyes.

 

“What?” Judy asked, anxious. “Tell me.”

 

“He’s… He’s comatose, ma’am. We don’t know for how long.”

 

Judy looked at the fox in horror.

 

“It won’t be for  _ that  _ long! It can’t be! Could it?” she asked frantically, “I mean--! It was just--! … He just--!”

 

“We can never tell. Most comas don’t last for more than a few weeks, but…”

 

“He’ll wake up!” Judy said, tears welling in her eyes, “Won’t he?”

 

“Of course, I can’t guarantee anything,” the nurse said, pained, “but odds are, yes, at the very least eventually. I’m so sorry, Miss.”

 

Judy wanted a guarantee, she wanted Nick to sit next to her in the cruiser again, she wanted to see him laugh, she wanted to hear his stupid jokes.

 

“Thank you,” Judy whispered. “...I’d like to be alone, please.”

 

The nurse nodded wordlessly. She left, and Judy pulled up a chair.

 

She held Nick’s paw in her own, gently stroking the fur. A part of her hoped it would wake him up.

 

She put her head on the bed and sobbed. She gasped. She sobbed again.

 

She leaned back and slammed her fists on the seat of the chair. She got up and kicked the chair across the room. She couldn’t tell if she was still crying, she couldn’t tell if she had just injured her foot, she didn’t give a damn. She wanted Nick back. She wanted Nick back.

 

The door opened behind her with a squeal and a slam against the wall. She heard someone say “Judy?!” but she was too hysterical to recognize the voice. She crumpled, knelt on the ground.

 

Finnick came around to face her and lifted her head.

 

“Hey!” he shouted, “What’s wrong?!”

 

“What’s wrong?” Judy yelled, “What’s  **_wrong_ ** _ , Finnick??” _

 

“Yeah, that was stupid, I’m sorry,” he said. She sobbed. “Hey,” he said, “C… Come here.”

 

He brought her into a very awkward hug, but Judy squeezed back in anguish.

 

“It’s… ‘Sokay, Judy.”

 

“No,” Judy choked, “It’s  _ my fault.” _

 

Finnick pulled back and looked at her in the eyes. He looked stunned. “Naw, come on, Judy. You literally ran into a burning building for him.”

 

“I… but what if I could’ve done better? I… if I’d just cushioned his fall a little more, the wound wouldn’t have opened, he wouldn’t have--.”

 

“Hey!” Finnick said firmly, “I know you’re fucked up right now, I am too. I want him back just as much as you do, okay? But what you’re sayin’ is fuckin’ insane. He’d be  _ dead  _ if you di’nt do what you did. Hey,” he lifted her chin up with his paw, “’Tsnot your fault. It is not your fault.”

 

Judy broke down as much as she hadn’t already. She hugged him tight enough to strangle him, saying, “thank you, thank you, thank you.” They embraced on the floor for an eternity.

 

Judy spoke up after a pause.

 

“I’m going to kill that wolf,” she whispered.

 

Finnick stared past her shoulder, concerned. “You… Really, Carrots?”

 

“I  _ want  _ to. So bad.”

 

“Don’t throw your life away for Nick,” he said, leaning back and grinning. “He’s not worth  _ that  _ much.”

 

Judy stood and wiped her face. She let out a shaky breath.

 

“We’re going to catch him, Finnick,” she growled. “And when we do, we’re going to put him in a cell for the rest of his life.”

 

“ _ That,  _ I hope you do,” Finnick said. He stood and backed up, smiling tiredly. “Well,” he said, “I came to spend some time with Nick, but, uh, I’ll come back later. Take yo time, Judy.”

 

“Thank you, Finnick.”

 

“No problem.”

 

“...The nurses say he’ll wake up,” she said.

 

“I know he will,” he muttered, any cheerfulness gone. “He will.” And he was out of the room.

 

Judy dragged herself to the fallen chair and sat it down upright next to the fox. She sat down and watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

 

She’d meant what she’d said. She would make Tim pay through the nose.

  
She craned her neck, eyes up, looking for a star.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ATTENTION: If you want, you can follow @Part_of_a_Whole on Twitter for frequent updates. Soon, I'll be holding a poll where you can vote in what you most want me to write next! So, you know, don't miss that if you want to be a part of that decision. Or do, I'm not here to tell you how to live your life.
> 
> This is the final "chapter" chapter. This fiction has been a blast to write, and I'd like to thank everyone who read and enjoyed. You've all made this a fun and encouraging experience for me, and I truly thank you from the bottom of my soul. Thank you.
> 
> See you in the epilogue!

“Suspect still in sights,” Leo’s voice rang through Judy’s caller.

 

A week had passed since the attack on the hospital. Bogo had extended his 48 hour deadline, seeing as Judy had  _ technically  _ found enough information in those 48 hours to at least ensure the safety of Headquarters for a time.

 

Investigations had yielded the terrorist’s intended date of attack on the ZPD: today.

 

“Copy that,” Judy said. She was crouched in the bushes by the back entrance to HQ. “Where is he?”

 

“Ah…” Leo said, trailing off as Judy heard a swerve and the honk of a horn. “... Down Cypress Grove … Appears to be approaching HQ from the back…”

 

“Should I call for more back here, then?”

 

“Not yet…” Leo said, “Wait til we’re sure that’s where he’s gonna show up.” A pause. “He’s been looking at me in his rear-view mirror for a while now… I think he knows I’m a…  _ SHIT!” _

 

“Byrd?!” Judy yelled in concern. She heard gunshots from the other end. Tires squealing.

 

“Officer Byrd, come in!”

 

Static.

 

“... I’m fine! I’m… I’m okay,” he said, squealing the tires. “Little shaken up. I… I had to turn off onto another road. I lost him, I’m trying to find him again.”

 

“Okay. Stay safe, Leo,” she said. Changing channels, she muttered, “Great. God dammit.” 

 

“Everyone at alert,” she broadcasted to the entire team. “We have a code orange security threat, believed to be at the back. If you’re stationed at the front, stay put. We need all the coverage we can get.”

 

The garbled voice of Cheryl Hoofer came through.

 

“SWAT, remain hidden. Shields up. Guards up. We need two more people in the back by Officer Hopps. Move.”

 

Judy heard Bogo’s deathly serious voice boom through the intercom:

 

“ _ Code red. Attention all employees, code red. This is not a drill, please follow appropriate protocol. _ ”

 

Judy heard rustling as the everyone inside the building began to barricade themselves in storage rooms and closets.

 

Several seconds passed. Minutes. Ten minutes.

 

“ _ Byrd, _ ” Judy hissed. “Update.”

 

Silence.

 

“ _ Leo. _ ”

 

A little static, then:

 

“ _ Judy, it’s the front! He’s walking in right through the--!” _

 

Gunshots. Broken glass. Red lights. Alarms.

 

Judy looked in through window and saw the shooter. He saw her. He pointed his gun. She dove to the side.

 

_ KSSH! _

 

“ _ He’s inside! _ ” Judy yelled at the SWAT officers beside her. “ _ He’s--! _ ”

 

“ **_Follow!_ ** **”** Judy heard one of them say. They all sprinted around the building and to the front. They stopped by the glass door, ducked behind the wall. The other half of the SWAT team was squatted on the other side.

 

Cheryl Hoofer stood, ducking under the window.

 

“We are going to charge him,” she whispered. “On my count--.”

 

From inside, they heard a door being kicked off its hinges. A scream. A single gunshot. Silence.

 

Hoofer ducked.

 

Judy gasped and squeezed her eyes shut. She searched her mind frantically, desperately trying to verify that she didn’t recognize the scream, she didn’t recognize the scream, she didn’t.

 

She heard more pops, thuds on the floor.

 

“ _ I’m going in, _ ” Judy hissed, whipping out her gun.

 

“ _ NO,  _ you’re  _ not, _ ” said the officer behind her, grabbing her arm.

 

“He’s shooting people!” Judy whispered, wriggling free, “ _ I’m going in! _ ”

 

“ _ Stop her! _ ” Hoofer ordered, but Judy was already inside.

 

There, in the center of the lobby, Tim Johnson stood. He held Benjamin Clawhauser by the neck and held a gun to his head.

 

“ _ NO! _ ” Judy screamed.

 

Tim whipped his gun to her.

 

They both fired. Judy’s shot missed. Tim’s shot grazed Judy’s right arm.

 

She fell to her knees, dropping the pistol and clutching her wound. All she heard were echoes. She looked up.

 

“Put your paws up,  _ NOW!”  _ Tim yelled, “Or he dies!”

 

Benjamin looked at her in the eye. He said nothing. His eyes were wild with fear.

 

Judy crept her paws into the air.

 

Tim released Clawhauser, who frantically scurried out the back door.

 

“Do not make a move,” Tim said gun still trained on her. Judy froze, heart beating fast as gunfire.

 

“So how is all of this?” Judy snarled. “You’ve ended lives. You’ve scared the people. You’ve threatened civilization. You’ve shot my friend. Is it worth it?”

 

Tim laughed. “I don’t think I’m the one who needs to reconsider,” he said, cocking his gun.

 

He approached her slowly, smile growing with every step.

 

“You met my brother, did you?” he said. Judy said nothing. “How is he these days?”

 

Judy said nothing.

 

Tim stopped inches away. His gun hung lax from his paw.

 

“Come on, Judy. You’re the hope of Zootopia. Surely, you want to get in some final words…?”

 

Judy spat on him.

 

Tim was shocked. Shock turned to a grin. He actually  _ guffawed. _

 

“You’ve got some real  _ balls  _ for a bunny cop!” he said gleefully, grabbing her by the throat. He lifted her off the ground and put his gun under her chin. She couldn’t breathe. She was going to die. She closed her eyes.

 

The explosion came from outside. It shook the ground.

 

Tim looked toward the blast.

 

A SWAT officer Judy had never met shot the wolf between the eyes.

 

**

 

On the ground, Judy struggled to regain control of her lungs.

 

The SWAT officer, a tiger, ran over to her, yelling, “Officer, are you hurt?”

 

Judy cleared her throat and stumbled to her feet. “N… No, I’m fine. Are  _ you  _ okay?”

 

“Yeah,” he said.

 

“You’re a hero,” she said.

 

The tiger half-smiled for a moment, but his eyes looked tired. “Well, I appreciate that, Miss. We need to evacuate the building.”

 

“Yes,” she said, glancing back at Tim’s crumpled corpse.

 

She had thought that this moment would bring her satisfaction. She’d never thought that Tim’s death would rectify all he’d done, of course not, but… she didn’t know. She thought this moment would feel better. Bigger. Tim had probably thought so too. He probably thought that he’d be important. That he’d be special, he’d leave an impact on this city, on this world. That by taking away life, he’d have made his bigger. But he was just another dead wolf. Judy would someday be just another dead rabbit, Nick another dead fox. Zootopia was just another city. It would all rot the same.

 

_ No lives matter, _ Judy thought.  _ Nothing does. _

 

“Yeah,” Judy said. “Let’s evacuate the building.”

 

**

 

Judy attended Dante’s hearing. With the news of the death of his brother, the wolf pleaded guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to life in maximum security prison with no possibility of parole. Judy went to the hospital to visit Nick.

 

The television showed more death. She fell asleep to Nick’s heart monitor.

 

**

 

Much to the concern of her comrades, Judy spent her Saturday with Nick, watching the news.

 

All they ever focused on was the bad. Why didn’t they ever tell about the good in the world? Two terrorists had been taken from the streets. Wasn’t that enough good news to blast?

 

She remembered her thought from before: that all lives mattered. What about the lives of the Johnsons? What about the lives of evil?

 

She was beginning to come to the conclusion that the world was not as neat and tidy as she’d previously thought, the world was actually very messy. Bad mammals got their way. Good mammals got killed. Bad mammals weren’t really bad. Good mammals weren’t really good, no one deserves death, some mammals deserve to die. 

 

Predators were oppressed. Speciesism existed. Predators deserved equality.

 

Speciesism still existed.

 

Judy couldn’t go to any gathering of mammals and feel safe. Just one mammal with a gun in their backpack. That’s all it would take.

 

Nowhere was safe. Nowhere was fair. Everywhere was a battle.

 

This is what society had become. Batshit crazy. Fear. Terror had infiltrated.

 

Leo Byrd, wearing a white T-shirt and black jeans, came in with a piping hot cup of coffee.

 

“Judy, you’ve been in here all day.”

 

“I know that,” she said.

 

“Well…” Leo said, “Look, I’m gonna be direct, because I’m sure you’ve already guessed why I'm here. Everyone in the ZPD is worried about you. You’ve been far from yourself this whole case, and now… now it’s a bit frightening, to be honest. Even Bogo expressed some concern.”

 

“Is that surprising, Leo?” she said. She didn’t know what she was feeling. “Bogo’s not just some superhero. He has emotions. He’s a mammal, we’re all mammals, we all have feelings, and Bogo’s gonna face all the shit the rest of us do. He’s gonna feel what we feel.” She felt a lump in her throat. She didn’t know why.

 

“I… I’ve thought about this too, believe it or not,” he said. “About mammals. It’s almost as if the only reason we’re put on this planet alive and conscious is to watch ourselves die.”

 

Judy stared.

 

“...so I brought you this coffee,” Leo finished.

 

“Thank you, Leo.”

 

“Thank  _ you,  _ Judy. For letting me know you.”

 

He put down the coffee. He looked at her. He left.

 

**

 

_ No.  _

 

Judy sat up in her chair. It was the middle of the night.

 

The world  **_was_ ** fair _ ,  _ she thought, standing, pacing around the room. Not because it was like that naturally. But because she would make it that way.

 

She took her plate from earlier. She stood it on its edge on the floor and spun it. Getting a running start, she kicked it, and it shattered around the room.

 

She sat down back down in her hard, wooden chair.

 

**

 

The next morning, Nick opened his eyes with a snort. He was immediately aware of Judy, asleep, holding his paw.

 

It took a moment for him to assess his surroundings, but he quickly deduced that he was in the hospital and that, judging from the fact that the TV said Sunday and that he had no recollection of the week that had passed, he had been in a coma.

 

So his  _ obvious  _ course of action was to pretend he was still asleep and surprise Judy when she woke up.

 

When he did hear her get up out of the chair, it took every bit of his experience as a con artist to keep a straight face. He heard her sniffle, sweep something that sounded like glass up off the floor, and wash her paws. Nick heard her sit back down and felt her take his paw again.

 

He let her do that for a little bit. She stroked the fur, which he thought was absolutely heartwarming.

 

“ _ SURPRISE! _ ” he yelled shortly, opening his eyes.

 

“ **_YAAAUGH!_ ** ” Judy screamed. She tipped over backwards in her chair, breaking the back legs. Nick started laughing hard.

 

Judy stood up and jumped on top of him. She slapped him across the face.

 

“Fuck you, Wilde!” she laugh-cried.

 

“I’m… I’m… I’m sorry, holy shit,” he said between gasps of laughter.

 

Judy buried her head under his chin and sobbed. Nick lifted his paw and tenderly ran his fingers through her fur behind the ears, still laughing.

 

“I’m sorry for slapping you,” Judy mumbled, her voice low from crying.

 

“It’s… hooo… It’s okay, I deserved it.”

 

“I love you, Nick.” she sobbed, “I…”

 

“I love you too, Carrots.”

 

A nurse ran into the room.

 

“ _ What--!?”  _ she cried, then saw Nick awake.

 

“Oh my God!” she said in joy, “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to get off the patient.”

 

“Sorry,” Judy sniffed, and rolled off the bed.

 

“Aww, but it was just getting cozy,” Nick grinned.

 

“Shut up,” Judy said, smiling, wiping a tear from her eye. She turned to the nurse. “Sorry… uh… Sorry about the chair and the, uh… plate. I’ll pay you back. I’ll pay you back,” she said, jumping up and down.

 

“No problem, Miss.” the nurse smiled. She turned to Nick. “Welcome back, Mr. Wilde.”

 

Nick did a little bow.

 

Judy thought about what she’d thought about last night. About what Leo'd said about death.

 

_ Fuck it,  _ she thought,  _ I’m alive. _


	7. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: There's a poll at @Part_of_a_Whole on Twitter where you can vote in what you want me to write next! If that seems appealing to you, go ahead and check it out!
> 
> This has been fun. Thank you.

_One month later_

 

“And of course,” Bogo droned, “If I _cared,_ I’d welcome Officer Wilde back onto the force.”

 

The room erupted in snickers. Nick grinned under his snout.

 

“Charming as always, _Sir._ ”

 

“And as always, Wilde, _shut_ your mouth,” he retorted. “Assignments. Officers Fangmire, Delgato, Higgins. Tundratown. Undercover.” The three officers got up and left.

 

“Grizoli, Snarlov, Wolford. Sahara Square, SWAT..”

 

“Hopps. Wilde. Bank robbery in Jungle District. Dismissed.”

 

**

 

Nick and Judy sped the cruiser to the bank in question.

 

“Let’s see if I can redeem myself in the bank robber department,” Nick grinned.

 

Judy smiled to herself.

 

“I _hope_ so,” she said. “Because as of now you’re an embarrassment to the precinct.”

 

“Mm-hmm,” Nick said, sipping his coffee, “You’re still a bad driver, you know.”

 

Judy brake-checked him, but he stayed in his seat.

 

“Aren’t seat belts a wonderful thing?” Nick smiled, lifting up the part on his shoulder.

 

“Hmm,” Judy said, “Smart fox.”

 

“Mm… bunny,” Nick said, leaning back. “You’re just a bunny. God, doesn’t it ever feel like we’re just reading off a script or something?” He took another sip of coffee.

 

Judy slammed the brakes, and Nick spilled the liquid all over himself.

 

“Aw, _dammit,_ get me a paper towel or something!”

 

“Sly bunny,” Judy said, smiling, throwing him an old, crumpled napkin.

 

“Ugh, _fine,_ ” Nick grinned, wiping the hot liquid off his pants. “Sly bunny.”

 

Judy half-smiled.

 

“Nick, it’s good to have you back,” she said, “ _Really_ good.”

 

“Good to be back with you, Officer Hopps,” he said, stuffing the napkin in his back pocket, “But cut it out with all the sappy stuff, alright? It’s making me feel like a real mammal. I’ve got character traits to uphold and everything. Nick Wilde isn’t a decent mammal _all_ the time, ya know. I gotta stick to the script.”

 

Judy gave him a quizzical look. “That sounds like a set-up.”

 

Nick stared. “What? A set-up for what? What are you talking about?”

 

Judy smiled down the road.

 

“Mm. Nothing.”

 

**

 

Regarding life and death.

 

Judy used to think the world was one of opportunity. That anyone could achieve what they wanted, that they could be everything. Then Nick came into her life, and taught her that the world really didn’t owe anyone anything. And instead of achieving everything, Judy learned that one could only really try everything. Hey, that’s the name of the song.

 

Then this whole terrorism case happened, and Judy’s view of the world changed again. The world really wasn’t fair. It was an almost naturally and inherently fucked up place to live. And we could try to change it. Of course we could and should try.

 

But the world had decreed that we would fail. Zootopia (hey, that’s the name of the movie) would never be perfect. Judy would never make the world a better place, the mess would always remake itself after it was cleaned.

 

But she could try. That was a pretty good fuck-you to the world.

 

She was meaningless. Her life was meaningless. In saving Nick, she had saved something meaningless, all life was naturally and inherently meaningless. No one would make a difference, no one belonged anywhere, no one came from anywhere, no one was going anywhere, and everyone was just gonna live a couple decades and then stop doing so.

 

But she looked around. She saw Nick, sucking on a pawpsicle, as he, as a character, tended to do. She saw young lions and lambs playing ball in the street. She saw museums. She saw art exhibits. She saw science labs, and if she looked up at night, she knew she’d see stars.

 

She could try… she could _choose_ to enjoy her life.

 

And that was a pretty beautiful fuck-you to the world.

 

**

 

They found the robber running between houses.

 

“Get out!” Judy yelled. They did. They ran after the figure.

 

They reached a dead end.

 

“Carrots, we need to get outta here,” Nick said. He looked scared.

 

“Yeah,” Judy said, turned, ran, and heard three shots.

 

“ _GGGYAUGH!_ ” Nick screamed. Judy heard a thud as he hit the ground.

 

Judy stopped dead. She turned around, in numb denial.

 

Out of nowhere the robber had dropped from the rooftops and shot Nick in the back.

 

Without a second thought, Judy raised her gun and shot the robber in the forehead.

 

When she went to Nick, it felt like she was gliding. This was a dream. This was not happening again.

 

She knelt next to the dying fox. She turned him over.

 

“...Nick,” she said simply.

 

He managed a smile. “Didn’t redeem myself, I guess.”

 

“Nick, take deep breaths. You’re gonna live. You’re gonna be fine.”

 

“Ccc...hharrots, I need… I…”

 

“What?” Judy whispered, tears welling. “What do you need, Nick? Anything.”

 

“I… I... I’ll take that backrub now.”

 

Saxophone music played. The audience laughed. The band came out of the houses. The robber got up and did a little dance.

 

Nick got up, grinning. He wrapped his arm around Judy, who was now smiling and dancing along as well.

 

Nick looked directly at the reader.

 

“ ‘It’s called a _hustle,_ sweetheart!’ ” he said, smiling and waving. The audience laughed and began to applaud.

 

“Yep,” Judy laughed, “The world sucks! You can’t be who you want! You can only be who you are!”

 

“Now, that’s not right, Judy,” Nick smiled, putting paws on hips and shaking his head at her, “Follow your dreams, kids! With enough determination, you can do anything you set your mind to! And that’s it! Cut!” he said, waving his arms. The camera began to pan out. The paper sky began to lower. “That’s the end of the fanfic!” he said to the reader, “Hope you got something out of it! Enjoy your life, now!”

 

_Camera pan out, we see the entirety of Zootopia. All mammals smile and wave._

 

_Circle wipe out to black._


	8. Announcement

To every beautiful man woman and child:

There used to be two other fanfictions a on my profile, and now they will be permanently absent for various personal and professional reasons that I’m not comfortable sharing and/or cannot share. It pained me greatly to delete them, but it was a necessity. I did save all your comments as screenshots, so if you had any emotional attachment to those please let me know down below and we’ll find a way to get you those. If you have any other questions, please let me know in the comments and I’d be happy to try to illuminate to the best of my ability and liberty. I am truly, truly sorry if you enjoyed these two stories enough to miss them. Thank you so, so much for understanding. Never stop reading and writing!

-PartOfAWhole


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